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A knife amnesty bin has been reopened at Blackwood Police Station as part of a national campaign to tackle knife crime.

Gwent Police is joining police forces across the country as part of the week-long Operation Sceptre, which will also see officers speaking to school pupils, youth groups, retailers, and the wider community.

In Blackwood, the knife amnesty bin will be open from Monday May 18 to Friday May 22, between 9am and 1pm, and 2pm and 4pm. It is one of five amnesty bins being set up across Gwent this week.

The bins will allow people to safely and, anonymously, dispose of dangerous knives and blades.

People looking to deposit dangerous knives at these bins are asked to package the blade prior to placing them in the bins, so they can be removed safely.

A knife amnesty bin was last opened at the police station last November.

Sergeant Phill Jones, who is leading the operation in Gwent, said: “We work closely with our partners throughout the year to tackle knife crime because policing cannot do this alone.

“Knife crime can have a massive impact on our communities and, as a service, we will be shinning the spotlight this week on the work done by teams to tackle knife crime within our communities.

“We will continue to speak with young people, in particular, to educate them on the consequences of carrying bladed articles.”

During the week, police will be working with retailers, both in shops and online, to stop the sale of knives intended to harm.

Meanwhile, Crimestoppers’ youth brand, Fearless, will be going to schools and colleges across Gwent to talk to students about the dangers of knife crime.

“Dealing with the accessibility of intimidating weapons is also vital and we’re doing all we can to reduce how easily they can end up in the wrong hands,” Sgt Jones continued. “We know it can be worrying to hear about people being injured or killed by knives but carrying a knife yourself doesn’t make you any safer and can put you more at risk.

“If someone you know is carrying a knife you can report it to us, speak to a trusted family member or teacher, or you can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers.

“By providing this information, you could be saving the life of someone you love.”

Sgt Jones added: “I want to reassure communities that anyone caught carrying a knife, no matter the reason, we will stop and search them, seize the weapon and deal with them proportionally through the criminal justice system.”